1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to ventilators and, more particularly, to a modular ventilation system which is adapted to provide continuous or intermittent ventilatory support for the care of individuals who require mechanical ventilation.
2. Related Art
A wide range of clinical conditions may require some form of ventilation therapy. These conditions may include hypoxemia, various forms of respiratory insufficiency, and airway disorders. There are also non-respiratory and non-airway diseases that require ventilation therapy, such as congestive heart failure and neuromuscular diseases.
To improve the quality of life of many patients who require long-term ventilation therapy, various types of ventilation systems have been developed in the prior art. Some of these prior art systems are compact, lightweight and portable, whereas others are substantially more robust and not well suited for portability or to be wearable by the patient. However, the known prior art is deficient in providing a ventilation system which is uniquely adapted for use in any one of several different configurations, and to provide any one of several different types of ventilatory support corresponding to those configurations. These deficiencies are addressed by the modular ventilation system of the present disclosure, as described in more detail below.